Written August 22, 2021.

I got a question about this well over a year ago. I don't remember who sent it in or if they're still around, but it was a good topic and something worth talking about.

What happens when your writing puts you in a box? Does this happen to me, and how do I feel about it?

There's a lot to unpack with this one.

What happens with the readers?

When you stick to writing things with similar genre lines, you might find that people begin to stereotype you as an author.

For me, this started a couple years ago. My most popular stories all contain teen characters, most of whom have some type of superpower. Some of the powers in different series are the same, even if the overall plot and story ideas have major differences.

Readers have told me before that they know what I write. For them, that's straightforward. I write Fantasy-type books, with occasional Science Fiction content, and that's about it.

In a way, this is great. I have an understanding of my audience, so I know that this content will bring readers in to any new, similar story.

This is why several Wattpad authors I know have found a niche. They're good at writing that genre or storyline, so it's all they post. They're follower base is supportive, though often it's based on one specific slice of storytelling.

If old readers of 2050 and the Perkins School books have stuck around and followed my profile, then there's a good chance that they will be drawn in to my new superpower-related content.

If you had gotten this installment last year, I would have had a lot less to say. I would have told you that yes, this is a great thing for authors. We, as authors, win some and lose some with this approach. But, a year ago, I would have said that this is beneficial to authors and audiences overall.

Now, I feel a bit differently about readers knowing what authors write.

What happens with the authors?

When your audience has a narrow view of your writing, that box can close in on you. If those readers only follow you because of your previous content, branching out can be detrimental.

I did a post a long time ago about writing popular tropes. Some people write them because they're popular.

I think that you should write what you enjoy, and your passion will show through. If the ideas you're writing about are popular, that's fine if you're writing from a place of passion rather than obligation.

The same goes for genres. If you're writing a genre because it's your favorite, that's awesome. If you're branching out because a new idea is sparking your creativity, that's great ... unless you've been trapped in a box by your past work.

If you're a Fanfiction writer who suddenly posts a book of personal essays, things might go downhill with your followers.

They already know what you write; you may have been posting the same type of content for years, and branching out has an alienating impact. Those were Fanfiction readers. Now, they're confused about this seemingly abrupt change in content.

This sort of thing can happen in much less extreme circumstances. People who switch from Fanfiction to original fiction, or Fantasy authors who try a Realistic Fiction novel, may face similar impacts.

This metaphorical box can influence your characters, too. If there's a specific character type in your stories, and readers pick up on that, any deviations may (and often will) be compared to the original sampling.

What are the impacts?

For authors, there are quite a few.

Being placed in a box by your readers can be stressful, and this anxiety may lead to obligatory writing. You may feel the need to write something because you know your readers like it.

Those of you who have been to my profile and taken a look around will think this isn't an issue for me. I have a Poetry book, this collection of mostly Nonfiction, and several superpower-related series. I'm branching out.

A lot of people have pointed this out in the past and said wow, you're confident with switching focus whenever.

One word: no.

I spent about two years working on the first two 2050 books. After that, I spent about nine months on the first two Perkins School books.

At that point, I needed a break from both universes. I didn't know how 2050 was meant to end, and the next book in the Perkins School installment is going to be a very difficult one to write well.

Both involved planning, and neither series is at a point where the next installment is coming soon.

Readers of this book will look back at the several times when I said something to the contrary. There have been several points over the past three years where I've said great, I'll start posting it in the summer. No wait, I'll try posting it in the winter.

I fell victim to obligatory writing, and the associated anxiety. My readers were asking questions. They enjoyed the first few books, and they wanted to know when the next one would come out. I'm not the sort of person who can sit back and say it'll be here when it's here. I like to be able to provide that answer for my readers, to say that I'm going to end their wait and give them something to look forward to.

I figured that, since I've written and created both universes, I should be able to pick either series up at any time and start where I left off.

It doesn't work like that.

It's taken me three years of trying and failing to realize that I was trying to write for someone else, not myself. I started those series because I felt passionate about them. It's not helping anyone if I try to write them because I feel obligated. The readers will know the difference, and I won't be happy with how the stories progress.

I'm taking a step away from those worlds until I'm prepared, and that's okay.

I also struggle a lot on here with whether or not to post new ideas. I write a lot of different genres off WP, because I've taken classes that forced me to try new things.

I'm planning several new works for this site, but some of them are a bit different. Safe Haven will eventually end up here. That book, in its very first version, was supposed to focus on superpowers. Now, there's not a power in sight.

Yes, superpowers are personally a special interest of mine, but I have realized that I don't want to include them everywhere just because my audience expects it.

I'm doing my best to expand the box that my readers, and I myself, have placed my writing into.

While boxing in an author can create a lot of anxiety and doubt for them, it can also cause problems for those readers.

Readers can develop a sort of prejudice towards authors' works.

I don't necessarily mean large-scale prejudices like racism or sexism, though sometimes this happens on the most extreme end.

Readers who see an author writing only one or two types of story may see something new and think this isn't what they normally write, so they won't be good at it.

I have personally had this happen to me with my Poetry book. I've been writing poems for years, but I've only been posting them here for a little while. When I started, someone messaged me with concerns.

They thought that I should leave poems to the professionals, as I had just started posting and clearly (since this was my first Wattpad poem collection) I was a novice.

This sort of genre bias is a huge problem on here.

Here's why.

If you, as an author, have others making assumptions about your stories, eventually this leads to a confidence decline. If people take one look at your book in a new genre and say you're an amateur just because you've never posted that before, how will you learn or improve? You have to post it here in order to get that input, but when your audience isn't interested in change, that can be hard.

This type of bias also keeps readers from trying new things. If a reader thinks that an author only writes Science Fiction, and that's all the person should post, then the reader may never be impressed by the author's experimental Romance novel.

Readers should follow authors because they like that person's writing in general. Sure, it's okay to expect a certain type of content from that author. However, the writer shouldn't be judged if they have other genre passions, and want to try their hand at new things. If it's not working, we want to know. What's not helpful is an unwillingness to meet an author where they are. If we're trying a new genre and readers use that as the sole reason to hate the project, that won't help anyone involved.